


Real Winter

by ObscureReference



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Gen, Winter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-24
Updated: 2016-04-24
Packaged: 2018-06-04 06:38:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6645451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ObscureReference/pseuds/ObscureReference
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everyone seems convinced that Chowder's winter clothes aren't <i>real</i> winter clothes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Real Winter

**Author's Note:**

> I got the prompt "headspacedeficit said: If you're still taking holiday prompts: Chowder and the trials that are New England winters." a long time ago, posted this on my tumblr, and realized today when somebody found it again that it was long enough to post here. So I figured I might as well.

“Chowder,” Bitty said, taking one long look at him when Chowder walked through the door. “ _Please_  tell me you did not walk around like that all day.”

Chowder looked down at himself. He couldn’t see any stains on his sweatshirt. His jeans looked pretty clean too. Well, as clean as they could be without having washed them for the past few days. But his mom said jeans didn’t have to be washed _every_ day, so that part should have been fine. His sneakers were a little frozen and it was kind of hard to feel his toes, but nobody had drawn on them or anything. He thought he looked pretty clean, if a little wet.

“Like what?” Chowder asked. He was pretty chilly from the snow, actually. Also, it was kind of hard to feel his fingers. It would have been pretty great if the Haus was a lot warmer than outside, but the Haus had minimal heating on a good day, so really he just wanted out of the doorway. And maybe find a blanket or something. Or hot chocolate, if there was any. But Bitty’s stare had him locked place.

Bitty walked over without taking his eyes off Chowder’s face.

“Like you dressed for a mild autumn instead of a New England winter,” Bitty said. He reached over and tousled some of Chowder’s hair, and Chowder blinked in surprise when a few small clumps of snow fell on the doormat. “Have you been dressed like this allday?”

“Uh, yeah, I guess?”

“ _Chowder_ ,” Bitty chided.

He cupped Chowder’s face and his hands were so warm, they nearly burned. Chowder jerked back without meaning to, and Bitty stared.

“You feel like an iceberg!” he cried.

Chowder had four inches on him easily, but Bitty gripped his arm and pulled him into the kitchen like it was nothing. He pressed Chowder into one of the kitchen chairs, and Chowder watched, fascinated, as Bitty started digging through the cabinets.

“Don’t you have any winter clothes?” Bitty asked, pulling out a packet of something dark. Cocoa power. Chowder sat up in his seat. If being cold meant he got hot chocolate, he’d walk out in the snow more often.

“These are my winter clothes,” he said.

Bitty glanced at him, then pulled out a mug. “No, they aren’t. You have  _real_ winter clothes.”

“I’m wearing them.”

“You’re wearing jeans and a sweatshirt.”

Chowder paused. “Bitty, I wear jeans and sweatshirts all the time.”

“Yes!” Bitty cried, throwing his hands up. “I thought you just wore those on regular days! Not when the snow is three feet deep!”

The front door slammed open and the stomping of feet signaled a new arrival. Dex and Nursey stumbled into the kitchen, one right after the other, bundled up in so many layers there was nearly zero visible skin between them. As they entered the kitchen, Nursey pulled his scarf away from his mouth while Dex tugged off his hat.

“What’s up?” Nursey greeted. “Hey, Bits, why do you look like you’re gonna blow a gasket?”

Bitty did look kind of red in the face, Chowder thought. Maybe it was warmer in the kitchen than he realized. He still couldn’t really feel the tips of his fingers. At least the hot chocolate looked like it would be done soon. He hoped.

“Do you see what Chowder is wearing?” Bitty asked, gesturing.

Almost simultaneously, they looked at Chowder. Chowder looked back. Nursey and Dex exchanged glances.

“You look soaked,” Dex said bluntly. He squinted at Chowder.

“C, where are your winter clothes?” Nursey asked.

Chowder frowned.

“These  _are_  my winter clothes,” he repeated. Nursey whistled.

“No, man,” Dex said, shaking his head. “Those are  _California_ winter clothes. California doesn’t have real winter.”

Well, Chowder thought. Maybe it didn’t snow as much in California, but he thought it got pretty chilly. And the mountains got a lot of snow sometimes, even if the whole state wasn’t covered in white like in the North.

“You do realize there are several feet of snow outside and counting, right?” Dex prompted, raising an eyebrow. “That’s not stopping anytime soon.”

Chowder looked down at himself. He had to admit that maybe he’d be less cold if he had something more to wear.

“Should I get a scarf?” He asked, looking back up. Dex snorted.

“A  _scarf_?” Bitty repeated, scandalized. “Chowder, have you  _seen_ how I dress when I leave the Haus?”

Of course he had. But mostly he thought Bitty just got naturally cold. He hadn’t really thought about it too hard.

“I thought that was just how you liked to dress.”

“You think I  _like_ wearing three layers and then shedding two of them any time I walk into a building?”

“That’s why I wear a hoodie,” Chowder said. He didn’t have to worry about taking off two layers when he walked inside. It was a lot easier that way.

“Chowder, a hoodie is  _not_ acceptable winter gear.”

Chowder thought about it for a moment. “So I  _should_  buy a scarf?”

“C, how about you start with some thicker clothes,” Nursey said. He pointed at Chowder’s sneakers. “First of all, those aren’t snow shoes. They have to be soaked through when the snow piles up like this. Can you even feel your feet right now?”

“Uh.”

“Oh my  _god_ ,” Bitty said. He shoved the now steaming mug of hot chocolate in front of Chowder, but before he could drink any, Bitty pointed back at the front door. “Take your shoes off before you get frostbite.”

So Chowder did. He left his wet socks by the front door as well. They would be dry when he went to leave, probably. His pants were pretty wet too, but it wasn’t like he could just take off  _everything_. It would all dry at some point.

When Chowder came back, Bitty was rubbing his head like he head a headache, eyes squeezed shut. Dex and Nursey were whispering about something pointedly.

“Alright,” Bitty said as Chowder walked in. “New rule: if you’re on the team, you have to have proper winter gear.”

“Can you even make the rules?” Dex asked. Bitty shot him a look that said he was being counter-productive. “What? You’re not the captain. It’s just a question.”

“I think Jack would agree with me on this one,” Bitty said firmly.

Dex shrugged, even though Bitty was probably right. Nursey nudged him with his elbow.

“Somebody’s in trouble,” he sang quietly. Dex shoved him back. Bitty looked like he was trying very hard to ignore them.

Chowder took a sip of the hot chocolate. It was really good, and the heat from the cup was starting to bring feeling back to his fingers.

“Second rule,” Bitty said. “Chowder has to buy real winter clothes if he doesn’t own any. Immediately.”

“Like a scar—”

“Nursey, Dex, you go through his closet and make sure he has some. If he doesn’t, one of us will go shopping with him and make sure he buys something proper.”

Dex nodded. Nursey patted Chowder on the shoulder. Even though his shirt, Nursey’s skin was awfully warm, and Chowder couldn’t help but lean up into it. Maybe he  _did_ need some new clothes.

“Don’t worry,” Nursey said as Chowder took another sip of his drink. “We’re gonna make sure you’re prepared.”

If Bitty had any say in it, Chowder had no doubt that was true.


End file.
